DESERTERS | Omeleto

Two soldiers hide out.


Flanders, 1916. Tommy is a young soldier from the West Indies, serving in a unit of the British Army. During a violent skirmish in the forests of Belgium, he flees into the woods, panicked and terrified. He meets Finn, a cynical, mysterious Irish officer, who takes Tommy in and later suggests joining forces to ensure their survival.

Over the next few days, the two deserters form a tentative, unconventional bond. But when a German soldier discovers their hideout in the middle of the night, their common cause is tested as they wrangle over what to do to survive.

Directed by Guido Zanghi and written by Benjamin Greaves-Neal and Guido Zanghi, this compelling short historical drama is a snapshot of World War I history, taken from a perspective not often represented in narratives about the conflict. But it is also a psychologically penetrating study of fear, paranoia, trust and the ways that war can warp our reactions to events and people. Both strands of the story are served through elegantly economical filmmaking and excellent writing and performances, all of which coalesce into an exemplary character study that understands how the larger tides of history can shape the inner lives of the people caught up in them.

We are dropped into the story right when Tommy suffers what modern sensibilities would call a panic attack in the middle of battle. Overwhelmed, he flees into the forests of Belgium where they are battling, scared and ashamed. When he's discovered by Finn, the narrative develops its moment with its close attention to the evolving dynamic between Tommy and Finn, who decide to hide out in a cabin in the woods.

The two men are wildly different, though they seemingly fight on the same side. Tommy is devout, vulnerable and empathetic; Finn has a hardened, cynical demeanor, and is unafraid to assert his rank as Tommy's military superior even when they first meet, though he convinces Tommy to join him, promising no ranks and no fighting. Actors Oliver Asante and Trevor Murphy as Tommy and Finn, respectively, are both excellent, especially as the film darkens in tone and leans into the mode of a psychological thriller. When the German soldier enters their midst, the wary camaraderie becomes a battle of wills, and the men discover that even if they are deserters, they may not be able to leave the mindset of war and violence behind.

DESERTERS is partly inspired by the true story of Herbert Morris, a Jamaican soldier who fought with the British West Indies Regiment, which consisted entirely of volunteers from the Caribbean. Morris suffered from shell shock, deserted the army and was later court-martialed and sentenced to death for his desertion. As the film winds down to its gripping conclusion, we're left with a sense of war's senselessness, along with the way it breeds xenophobia and fear. Even though it takes place in the past, it asks whether this psychological Pandora's box can ever be closed once it's opened, dooming us to repeat patterns again and again.


DESERTERS. Courtesy of Guido Zanghi at https://instagram.com/deserters_shortfilm.